


The Things We Say (And The Things We Don't)

by afteriwake



Series: Pursuit Of Happiness [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-26
Updated: 2013-02-26
Packaged: 2017-12-03 17:48:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/700981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock is dead, and Sally can tell Molly's keeping a secret. What the secret is, though, is not what Sally expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Things We Say (And The Things We Don't)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [andrea_deer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/andrea_deer/gifts).



> Just so you guys know, this is not an AU in that "The Reichenbach Fall" happened differently. Molly's lying to Sally, and the repercussions of this will come out later.

Sally had watched Molly after the Christmas party at Sherlock and John’s. She wouldn’t talk about it, but when they met up for drinks the week afterwards Molly looked rather depressed. She hadn’t shared the news that she and Anderson had made up, even though he hadn’t made a promise to leave his wife, because she just looked miserable. It was New Year’s Eve when they met up that time, and the pub had been packed. Molly hadn’t even cared that a new year was going to start, and she’d drank more than usual, and that had worried Sally. But the week after that everything seemed fine.

Sherlock didn’t come up in conversation much after that. Oh, there would be an occasional complaint from Sally, followed by a glare or a sigh from Molly, and Sally would kick herself for bringing him up at all. But then the scandal happened, and the kidnapping, and then his death. Sally had thought for sure Molly would be heartbroken, because even if they didn’t talk about it she knew her friend still cared about him a little, but the week after they met up Molly seemed…fine. A bit pre-occupied, but overall just fine. She knew Sherlock’s funeral had been that morning, and she had expected red eyes from crying or even a toast in his memory, but Molly said nothing whatsoever. They talked about the latest case that Sally had, the newest autopsies Molly had done, and then it drifted to her relationship with Anderson.

It was after they’d downed their first pints that Sally looked at her closely. “You’re keeping a secret, Molly.”

“What would make you say that?” Molly asked, looking up with a surprised look on her face. She nearly knocked over her empty pint glass in the process of moving her hand to her mouth.

“I know _you,_ ” Sally said. “Whatever secret you’re keeping, it’s big. And only one big thing has happened. What do you know about Sherlock’s death?”

“I don’t know anything,” Molly said, looking away.

Sally looked at her, really looked at her friend. Sherlock might have been a fraud, and he might have been a criminal, but one thing he was _not_ was stupid. And neither was Molly. If the two of them had put aside their differences, had worked together, they could do just about anything. Then it dawned on her, and she narrowed her eyes. “He’s not really dead, is he?” Sally asked quietly.

She could see Molly running some thought through her head. If it was true, if she was right, this was big news. They had to find Sherlock, bring him back. But then Molly slowly shook her head. “We had a row, a huge fight, before he jumped. I told him I hoped he’d just up and die. It would make the world a better place. And then he jumped off the roof.” She looked at her empty pint. “My last words to him were telling him I wished he was dead.”

Sally nodded slowly. With Molly, guilt looked much the same, no matter what she felt guilty for. Sally had seen her look guilty often enough over stupid things Sherlock had said, cruel and hurtful words that he didn’t even seem to notice that may or may not have had some kernel of truth to them. This was a big secret to keep, that she had essentially told him she’d be better off if he was dead. Sally placed an arm around Molly’s shoulder. “You didn’t know he was going to actually do it.”

“I know, but I still said it,” Molly said with a sigh. “I’m going to remember that for the rest of my life, that I told him that.”

The arm around the shoulder became a full-fledged hug. “If you want to talk about it, we can.”

“No, it’s okay. I just…I’ll deal with it on my own. It will take some time, but maybe one day I’ll get over this.” She smiled at Sally as she pulled away. “Let’s talk about something else, shall we?”

“Why don’t we ditch the pub and go watch a movie? Let you escape reality for a few hours?” Sally suggested.

“That’s a good idea,” Molly said with a nod. “Let’s watch some silly romantic comedy or something.”

“That sounds like a plan.” She and Molly stood up and began to put on their coats. Her friend needed her, and Sally would do whatever it took to make things easier on Molly. After all, that’s what friends did, didn’t they?


End file.
